Soils Breathe

From burrowers to bacteria, the organisms that live in soils respire. Most of them take in oxygen to do their work, and they give off carbon dioxide, just as humans do.

Soils breathe because they shelter and support living organisms.

Soil or Dirt?

Soils are more than dirt. Dirt is a mixture of minerals, air, water, and living and dead things. The possibilities are almost endless—bugs, bacteria, fungi, feces, nematodes, worms, roots, rotting plants, ice, minerals…

Soils have history! Their unique, colorful and exotic layers give us clues to how they have changed over time.